08 September 2026
Dave Nunnerley is a serving British Army officer and former Company Sergeant Major in the Parachute Regiment.
In this article, he explains why the UK’s defence challenges cannot be solved by copying how others are fighting modern conflicts, and why building UK sovereign Uncrewed Systems (UxS) capability is essential for future readiness.
When the new UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, visited Ukraine in August, he used it as a chance to respond robustly to renewed Russian threats.
“Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve,” he said. “We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.”
His comments removed any doubt about his and the UK’s position. Britain will be prepared. The question is what that preparation should look like.
Commentary has often suggested the UK should learn from how Ukraine has resisted Russian forces. Low cost, single use UAV fleets have been extraordinarily effective, and calls for the UK to follow suit naturally followed.
However, suggestions the UK can simply cut and paste this strategy are, according to defence capability specialist Dave Nunnerley, misleading.
“Modern conflict has demonstrated that mass, adaptability and speed of innovation are as important as technical sophistication.
“ISR platforms, FPV systems, autonomous logistics and counter UxS technologies are evolving continuously, demanding procurement and training models that can evolve just as quickly.
“At its peak, Ukraine has been using 9,000 drones per day against Russian forces. That is up to 270,000 a month, which represents a massive UAV fleet.
“The UK would not be able to produce that level, even if it wanted to. Not currently, anyway.”
It is not to say the UK cannot ever do it. But Nunnerley is clear our future strength depends on what the UK does now in building its own ecosystem, one that reflects British doctrine, British industry and British operational realities.
“Sovereignty is not a slogan,” he says.
“In defence it means operational freedom and provides confidence that equipment, software, intellectual property, spares and technical expertise remain available regardless of international supply chain disruption.
“Sovereign capability improves resilience and allows rapid adaptation to operational lessons.”
For him, sovereignty is not about politics. It gives the UK freedom of action, resilience and the ability to adapt quickly to operational lessons.
Nunnerley believes the UK already has the foundations it needs. Procurement simply needs to follow suit.
“The UK has exceptional SMEs, universities and defence innovators working across autonomy, sensors, payloads and advanced manufacturing.
“The talent is here. The challenge is accelerating collaboration so we can field capability at operational pace.
“Traditional acquisition processes should be complemented by spiral development, modular architectures and rapid experimentation.
“Continuous feedback from frontline users should shape future iterations of capability.”
The UK’s industrial base already leads in autonomy, AI, advanced manufacturing, sensing, payload development and systems integration. These strengths give the UK a realistic pathway to building an independent ecosystem.
For Nunnerley, an important next step is recognising capability is not only about platforms or manufacturing volume. It is also about people. Modern operators must be able to think, decide and act at the tempo these systems demand.
“Training is now a strategic capability,” he says.
“Synthetic environments, immersive simulation and mission rehearsal allow operators to learn rapidly, practise complex scenarios and shorten the time required to generate operational competence.”
He argues the UK cannot rely solely on live flying to build the level of skill required for modern uncrewed operations. The pace of technological change is too fast, and the risks of learning only in live environments are too high.
“Uncrewed systems evolve continuously. Operators need training models that evolve at the same pace. Synthetic environments give them the chance to rehearse, fail safely and adapt quickly.”
Sovereign training systems, paired with sovereign manufacturing and sovereign integration, create a full ecosystem that supports readiness, resilience and rapid adaptation.
“Capability is not just the aircraft,” he says. “It is the integration, the training, the safety assurance, the logistics and the through life support. If we invest in these areas, we create sustainable operational advantage.”
“If we invest in British capability, accelerate innovation and build resilient partnerships, we strengthen operational readiness and support a thriving domestic defence sector.”
Dave Nunnerley
UK Defence Capability Specialist
Nunnerley believes the UK government now faces a clear choice. It can attempt to mirror how others are fighting modern conflicts, or it can build an independent model of uncrewed capability that reflects its own strengths, industry and doctrine.
According to him, Britain must focus on five areas to build sovereign UxS capability:
“The UK has the expertise and industrial capacity to lead in autonomous systems,” he says.
“If we invest in British capability, accelerate innovation and build resilient partnerships, we strengthen operational readiness and support a thriving domestic defence sector.”
The message is clear. Britain’s uncrewed future will not be secured by copying someone else’s approach.
It will be secured by building a sovereign ecosystem that can adapt quickly, innovate continuously and generate operators who are ready for the realities of modern conflict.
Sovereign UxS capability refers to the UK’s ability to design, manufacture, integrate, train, sustain and evolve uncrewed systems without relying on external supply chains. It provides operational freedom and confidence that equipment, software, spares and technical expertise remain available regardless of international disruption.
Ukraine’s drone strategy relies on extreme manufacturing volume. At peak, Ukraine has used up to 9,000 drones per day. The UK cannot replicate this level of mass today, which is why sovereign capability matters more than copying tactics.
The UK has exceptional SMEs, universities and defence innovators working across autonomy, sensors, payloads, advanced manufacturing and systems integration. These strengths give the UK a realistic pathway to building a sovereign ecosystem that can adapt quickly and innovate continuously.
Modern operators must be able to think, decide and act at the tempo uncrewed systems demand. Synthetic environments, immersive simulation and mission rehearsal allow operators to learn rapidly, practise complex scenarios and shorten the time required to generate operational competence.
Procurement should complement traditional acquisition with spiral development, modular architectures and rapid experimentation. Continuous feedback from frontline users should shape future iterations of capability, allowing the UK to adapt at the same pace as modern conflict.
According to Nunnerley, the UK must prioritise sovereign manufacturing, open architectures, synthetic training environments, rapid experimentation and stronger collaboration between Defence, industry and academia. These elements form a sustainable ecosystem rather than a collection of individual platforms.
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